Briefly.
Trivia #1: The Seattle Mariners Felix Hernandez made his 10th consecutive Opening Day start yesterday. That made him just the 7th pitcher in MLB history with 10 or more consecutive Opening Day starts. Name the other six. (hint below)
Trivia #2: What Red Sox player was on the opening day roster for the entire 1970’s, yet never had more than 254 at-bats in one season?
If you see the Red Sox infielders taking off their hats and looking into their caps during the game, it is because they are checking on where to position themselves given a specific situation. Apparently others teams, Astros and Dodgers, are doing the same. They have cue cards, or cheat sheets, inside of their caps. For whatever reason, the outfielders do not partake.
Bob Kraft isn’t worried about Gronk. Why should you be?
The Red Sox payroll is an MLB-high $234,600,428. You think that is a lot? Consider that $61,930,428 of the total is going to players who are not even on the Opening Day roster! That’s more than the entire payroll of the Oakland A’s and Florida Marlins. DYK: The Sox are still paying Manny Ramirez and that he will get a cool $2,003,389 this season.
Nice change of pace last weekend with the match-play golf tournament.
This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Parkland suspect Nikolas Cruz showered with fan mail, donations.
Giancarlo Stanton has hit fewer than 33 homeruns in three of the past five seasons. 59 again this season? The odds are against.
Brock Holt is 6’3”, 170 lbs. (soaking wet)
Trivia hint: The years each pitcher pitched the consecutive Opening Day starts are: 1980-93, 1950-61, 1968-79, 1977-86, 1912-21, 2003-2012
The Red Sox schedule. They begin with 6 games in FL. Nice! Then a 10-game home stand against all-AL East (TB, NY, Balt). Their toughest stretch looks to be mid-June into July. 19 of 25 games on the road in 28 days which includes a trip to Seattle. They end the season with 15 of 21 at home, the last 6 at home against Baltimore and the yank-me’s. Finally, you think it’s ridiculous that teams play other teams in their own division 19 times?? The Red Sox have at least one game against both the yanks and the Orioles in every month!
It’s March and the Bruins have clinched a playoff spot and the Canadians are out of contention. What a beautiful thing!
Good luck: Jim Kelly. The former Canadian Football League star and Buffalo Bills quarterback has been battling oral cancer for years. He very recently endured a 12-hour surgery during which his upper jaw was reconstructed. Good guy. Remember, no one circles the wagon like Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills!
Potential MLB milestones in 2018: Albert Pujols reaching 3,000 hits (32 needed) and 2,000 (82) RBI, Adrian Beltre moving past A-Rod to 20th all-time in hits (68), Bartolo “The Load” Colon (10) and CC Sabathia (13) reaching 250 wins, Craig Kimbrell (9) for 300 saves. Also, though not starting his MLB career until 27 years old, Ichiro Suzuki needs 115 at-bats to reach 10,000, accomplished by only 28 other players.
Good to hear Jerry Remy in mid-season form already. From a game this past week: “And it keeps repeating, over and over again.” Ya Jerry, that’s what repeating means.
Give me a better day in sports. Next Thursday, April 5. The Red Sox home opener, that start of the Masters and the start of the Frozen Four. Really, no contest.
Speaking of the Frozen Four – Michigan, Ohio St., Minnesota-Duluth and Notre Dame. It just seems strange (to me) that Ohio St. is in there. (no more strange I guess than Loyola-Chicago in the Final Four)
R.I.P. – Daniel “Rusty” Staub (73). “Le Grand Orange” played 23 major league years with the Mets, Houston Colt .45’s, Expos, Tigers and Rangers. DYK: His New York Police and Children’s Benefit Fund has donated more than $120 million to families of fallen New York City police and firefighters since its inception in 1986. Nice.
Trivia answer #1: The Seattle Mariners Felix Hernandez is making his 10th consecutive Opening Day start today. That makes him just the 7th pitcher in MLB history with 10 or more consecutive Opening Day starts. Name the other six. – Jack Morris (14) Robin Roberts (12) Tom Seaver (12) Steve Carlton (10) Walter Johnson (10) Roy Halladay (10)
Trivia answer #2: What Red Sox player was on the opening day roster for the entire 1970’s, yet never had more than 254 at-bats in one season? – Bob “Monty” Montgomery
“All I want is to see you smile
If it takes just a little while
I know you don’t believe that it’s true
I never meant any harm to you.
Ed's Head On Friday 